The Only Exception
by emmylouuwho
Summary: 4.6 Becker's thoughts when Jess joins the stakeout. Jecker one-shot. Fluffy.


**Author's Note: This song came up on shuffle the other day, and I was like, "Emotional retard Becker!" And I had to write something based on this. And here it is. Enjoy!**

**As always, I own nothing but a love for Primeval, Becker, Paramore, and chocolate.**

_And I've always lived like this,_

_keeping a comfortable distance._

_And up until now I had sworn to myself_

_that I'm content with loneliness._

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk._

_But you are the only exception..._

Becker turned his head, trying to move as little as possible, to look down at the petite figure asleep on his shoulder, her small fist tucked under her chin. He felt an idiotic smile spreading across his face. _Crap._ No matter how he tried to fight it, this girl was getting to him.

He'd had a few girlfriends in the past, nothing serious. He never wanted to get too attached; he was a soldier, his job was dangerous. Especially now. Now that he battled prehistoric monsters on an almost daily basis. He couldn't let himself get involved seriously with anyone, knowing someday he might simply never come home.

Becker had seen firsthand what this job did to relationships. He hadn't been working at the ARC long when Nick Cutter was killed. But he still saw the changes that came over everyone left behind, especially Jenny. _'There was something I was gonna tell him.'_ She quit a few weeks later, and it was only now, once the ARC and anomalies were gone, that she was happy, newly married.

Danny Quinn lost his brother to a creature that came through an anomaly, years ago, when they were kids. And he was lost in one now too. And Sarah...

_Sarah._ Becker never allowed himself to think of her as anything more than a colleague, a friend. Granted, she was beautiful, and clever, and oftentimes hilarious. But he had his rules for a reason. And then before he knew it she was gone.

Now this girl, Jessica Parker, was threatening to bring all his carefully built walls crashing down about his ears. She was funny and clever and beautiful as well. But she was more than that - she was Jess. Jess was ridiculous, and adorable, and completely unsubtle. She had this irrepressible optimism, and Becker had trouble not being infected by it. And she liked him, and she didn't exactly make a secret of it.

'_I like the scenic route.'_

He should have made her leave; it was a stakeout after all. But then she flashed that wheedling little smile at him, and of course he gave in completely. Jess had climbed into the passenger seat, chattering away about anything and everything, and Becker didn't mind in the least. He liked listening to her rambling, although he would never admit it. She was so passionate about everything; her chatter let him in on how she thought.

Eventually, after most of the Chinese takeout had been eaten, her nearly one-sided conversation slowed, punctuated by longer and longer silences. Not uncomfortable, mind, just companionable silence, that said as much as words in Becker's opinion.

Soon both Becker and Jess were both looking sleepily at the screen on the dashboard, Jess leaning toward him slightly to see better. She yawned, and her head sank onto his shoulder. She blinked a few times, then closed her eyes, settling on his shoulder with a small sigh.

Now here she was, fast asleep, and Becker wasn't far behind. His elbow rested on the car door, his hand propping up his chin. Blinking sleepily, he remembered needing to be awake for something, something important...

Becker's chin slid off his fist, and he started slightly. He rubbed his eyes with one hand, turning again to look at Jess sleeping peacefully. His eyes flickered briefly toward the CCTV screen, but a movement there caught his attention. _Ethan. Damn._ The sight of that smug bastard woke him up in an instant. He sat up straight, reaching for his EMD. His movements jarred Jess awake, and she sat up slowly, looking around in confusion. He told her to call for backup, climbing out of the truck, making sure to lock the doors as he left. He wasn't going to let anything happen to Jess while he was gone.

As he cautiously headed up to Ethan's flat, he focused on one thing. Finding Ethan. Before anything happened.


End file.
